It is something to be able to paint a particular picture, or to carve a statue, and so to make a few objects beautiful; but it is far more glorious to carve and paint the very atmosphere and medium through which we look.....To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts.
Henry Thoreau

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Daybook, February 14, 2010

I am thinking....Having lots of thoughts about Germany, lately. Probably comes from concordantly watching a documentary called "Kindertransport", listening to a book on cd about Jewish families in Italy during WW2, and reading a book about "Grand Duchess Elizabeth" of Russia, who was German. Whenever I read or watch things about the holocaust, or some of the other nutty things Germany imposed upon humanity, I start to get a despairing feeling about having German heritage. Maybe I am thinking too much about this, but is there some sort of defective gene that has this race takes things to extremes? Could I participate on a similar level in some sort of atrocity simply by being genetically too blind to the truth? In my own sense of right? Hmmm, yes, I can see that trait. Could it really go so far in a horrid direction with the aid of like minded peers? It's sort of unnerving.Well, I guess, in all fairness, Germans aren't the only ones who have treated people badly. That goes across the nationality board. I suppose they are just the most infamous in this era.

I am thankful ....Sudafed again. It's been a sinus infection sort of week.

From the schoolroom..... Snow took over this week as we finally got a measurable amount. We made popcorn balls ( too sweet....you know, when they are still sitting in the ziploc bag and NO kids have devoured them, something is wrong. ;) Salt dough snowmen and did a "learn to draw" lesson on snow men, which was suprisingly interesting to the littles ( anything is better than math at the moment, I suppose:).

From the kitchen ... Sugar heart cookies just came out of the oven. Kielfe made yesterday already obliterated. :)

I am reading and watching and listening to:

Listened to:

A Thread of Grace

I'm having trouble sticking with this one. It seems to bounce around a lot. The story of a few Jewish families and the Italians who helped them during WW2.

It's growing on me. Almost done.

Reading:

The House at Riverton Kate Morton

And "Elizabeth; Grand Duchess of Russia" ( who became an Orthodox nun after her husband was murdered during the Russian Revolution)

Found this one at the library yesterday

Watched:

Kindertransport

As mentioned above, this one really affected me emotionally. I suppose it really did a good job at showing the normality of the lives of Jewish families before the Germans started on their rampage and then the jolt of being so brutally treated afterward. As a mother I could so empathize with the mothers who felt they had to ( and in doing so, saved their lives) send their children to England to live with families there. Dismayed feelings about how the Germans, in such recent history, treated people so inhumanely, rage that they were able to get away with it for so long, extreme pride in having some English blood, and wondering if I would have done the same as my fellow brits ;) ( taken in a refugee child for years and years). The individuals they interviewed were really so charming and interesting.This was a documentary about the Kindertransport, which transported German Jewish children to families in England just before the war.

When the Levee's Broke (Spike Lee)

I've only watched the first act. This is a documentary about Hurrican Katrina. I found it well done and very interesting so far. I'll wait to pass judgment on it until I've seen the whole thing.

Well, I didn't imagine I would get loads of objectivity from Spike Lee, so I took most of the things that left me scratching my head with a grain of salt. The music, the footage and the overall documenting of a very disturbing event in American History were all well done. It does seem unthinkable that such suffering had to happen in the richest country of the world. Would I blame the government? No. I think if you expect the government to save you from anything you are in for a jolt. I wonder why more blame wasn't put on the American people, as I would venture that 99.9% of us were sitting in a nice, warm ( or airconditioned :) house with lots of food and water while watching what was going on down in New Orleans. I suspect in that case ( which was my own assumption) most thought there WAS somebody doing something. Very sad.Around the house....I walked into the Salvation Army yesterday and found the exact curtain ensemble I needed for my room. A black and white toile valance and some lace curtains. Just like that. Love when that happens. I must apologize, because I am quite sure "Toile" has been out for a couple years now but I will never stop loving it or putting a bit of it in my decor.:)

One of my favorite things: A nice evening out ( or errand) with a couple of the kids. It never ceases to amaze me the great conversations and interesting chit chats we can have. And really, I mean that from the smallest to the oldest. What a blessing to have 10 of your favorite people sharing the same house as you!(Well, in my case, 8 of my favorite people, but 2 of them are just a phone call away! :)

What will we do this week: Well, it's Valentine's Day today. I got invited to Rangoli for lunch by my Valentine and had a delicious mexican dinner with A and Z last night! Tomorrow is Presidents Day and I am bound and determined to go Ice Skating, although what that has to do with Presidents Day, I don't know. Tuesday is, of course, Fat Tuesday and Wednesday kicks off lent with Ash Wednesday. What a week!Pictures I'm sharing....Vignettes from the past week.

My daughter's blog

Someone who has a why can live with any what and any how.Viktor Frankl

The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that's the essence of inhumanity.

George Bernard Shaw

And it is this humanity of Jesus that makes visible what is divine in him, which makes him manifest to us as God. Frenzy of any kind - even if it is 'religious' zeal and frenzy - is totally alien to the man of the New Testament. Think about it: Every time that we believe we are absolutely indispensable, every time we think that the world and the Church depend on our tireless activity, we over-value ourselves.

It is not that I wish to sing the praises of laziness, but I do wish tosuggest a certain change in the table of virtues as it has evolved in theWestern world, for which only action counts as a legitimate and conceivableactivity - whereas meditation, wonder, self-communion and silence are seento be indefensible and worthless, or at the very least, 'activities' thatneed to be justified.